As if she sensed that the undercurrents between her mother and Harlan were getting too provocative and too intense, Jenny cut in. “I don’t see what’s so special. It’s just a dumb old creek. I saw the Atlantic Ocean a couple of times when Mom and Dad actually stopped working long enough to take me. Now that’s impressive,” she said, shooting a defiant look in his direction.

He grinned at her, refusing to take offense. “It is something, isn’t it? But appreciating the magnificence of one doesn’t mean you can’t recognize the beauty of the other. That would be like saying if you like Monet, you can’t like Grandma Moses. Or if you enjoy Bach, it’s not possible to appreciate the Beatles.”

He pointedly fixed his gaze on Janet when he added, “Seems to me the more experiences you open your heart to, the richer your life will be.”

Color rose in her cheeks as his implication sank in. Satisfied that she’d gotten his message, he nodded and busied himself with taking the picnic from the packs Maritza had prepared. He handed Janet a red-checked tablecloth.

“You pick the spot for that,” he suggested, then watched as she headed unerringly for his favorite place beneath an old cottonwood. It was the exact spot where he often sat, his back braced against the trunk of the tree as he waited for the sun to set and his tangled thoughts to unravel. He’d come a lot after Mary’s death, hoping for understanding and acceptance of the tragedy that had taken her.

Today, for the first time, with Janet and Jenny by his side, he thought maybe he’d found the reason for God’s choice. One door in his life had closed and another had opened. He couldn’t help wondering with a sense of tremendous anticipation what awaited him on this new adventure.

“You suddenly seem very far away,” Janet said quietly as she came to stand beside him.

Harlan noticed that Jenny had already stripped off her shoes and socks and was wading in the creek. For the moment he and Janet had a bit of privacy. He lifted his hand to her cheek in a light caress.

“No more,” he murmured. “Now I’m right here, with you.”

Worry darkened her eyes at once. “Harlan—”

He touched a finger to her lips. “Shh. For once, don’t argue. Let’s just see where this takes us. No promises. No commitments. No guarantees. Just be open to the possibilities. Can you do that?”

He felt her tremble beneath his touch, felt her skin heat and saw the glitter of excitement in her eyes. A sigh hovered on her lips before she finally nodded.

“I can try,” she agreed, looking anything but certain even as she spoke.